Farewell
by Kouga518
Summary: A story of two tragedies befalling two lovers. Rated T for angst and suicide. RikkuPaine. One Shot


A/N: My bro was pestering me to write another Angst fiction with everyone's favorite couple in it, so I caved in and did it. And no, I'm not an emo. Anyways, hope you enjoy it. For those of you who were wondering where I got the idea from, listen to the song Whiskey Lullaby. It'll answer all your questions.

**Farewell**

To whoever may find this,

I'm writing this so that whoever may come across me in the near future will understand why I did what I did. She was everything to me. My sunshine, my life, my love, and my heart. She showed me what it was like to be happy, even in the darkest of times. She made everyday worth living. I should have stopped her from leaving, kept her from going out into that storm.

A storm came through here yesterday, as fierce a storm as I've seen in some time. She was worried about her chocobo at the nearby ranch, and left to go and check on him. I remember telling her to stay, almost begging her to, but she was determined to make sure that the ranch and the animals would be fine. I still remember getting the call many hours later, saying that I needed to get to the ranch quickly.

I remember fearing the worst. I ran, no, flew there as quickly as I could. But I was too late. I remember arriving there only to see a small crowd of people huddled around in a circle. Several emergency response people were there, and that's when I saw her.

She was lying on the ground still. I remember throwing myself onto her, shaking her as if she was sleeping. But she wasn't. She had died. The ranch hand told me that she had fallen from atop the second floor. The lightening had frightened her, and she had fallen off from the surprise. They say to me that she died quickly, and did not suffer. But all I could focus on was the blood on the floor around her head. How it was covering the wooden floor boards. And my hands.

I remember leaving the place, unable to speak or show emotion. It's only when I almost get to my home that the news finally sticks in my head. She's gone. I remember crying the hardest I'd ever done in my life. So hard were my cries that I couldn't stand, or eat, or even drink. Sleep never took me that night, here I've sat crying my eyes out until there's nothing left. Everywhere I look, no matter what I do, I still see her. It drives me mad, knowing that I can never see her again. Never feel the softness of her skin. Never caress her blonde hair. Never hear the sweet words she would share with me when we were alone. Never kiss her sweet lips again. The only memory I have of her is the blood stains on my gloves from where I caressed her head for one last time.

Even at the bottom of this whiskey bottle sitting near me, I find no comfort. Only a deeper desire to be with her. A hunger to be with her. I write this note so that people will not think lowly of me, or think me insane. I do this because without her, there is no reason to live. No reason to go on.

Dearest Rikku, I'll be with you again soon.

Paine

-Later that day-

Buddy knocks on the door again. Still no answer. Brother shakes his head in confusion. The two had come to check on Paine and make sure she was okay. Brother was still overcome with grief at the loss of his sister yesterday, but had voted to come along. At least him and Paine would have similar ways of coping with the loss. When after the third knock there's no answer, Buddy gets suspicious.

"I don't get it, thier hover cycle still parked on the street and all the lights are on in there. Why isn't anyone answering?" Buddy says aloud. Brother just shakes his head, too shaken up to speak. Buddy finally twists the door handle in frustration, and to his surprise the door opens. The two walk in cautiously, but a horrifying sight besets their eyes.

Sprawled out on the couch, with pill bottles and an empty bottle of gin in her hands, Paine lays. Tear streaks are visible on her face beneath her closed eyes, but there is an almost happy smile on her face, as if she was anticipating something good to happen.

Buddy reaches a careful hand down, pressing two fingers to the side of her neck before shaking his head. She's dead. Brother starts crying on the spot, unable to take the sight of his friend sprawled out on the couch in such a way.

"Paine, why? You didn't need to do that." Buddy shakes his head. Two lives had now ended. Two lives, two friends, and two lovers. As the two walk away to contact the local authorities, Buddy silently prays that the two find peace in the Farplane.

-Paine and Rikku's home-

Paine suddenly springs awake after a particularly loud crash of thunder is heard outside. She blinks a few times, as if to make sure everything before her is real. After shaking her head a few times, she eases herself up. She must have fallen asleep on the couch.

_"What in the hell? What kind of dream was that? I need to lay off the whiskey some. It's starting to play tricks on me."_

At that thought, Rikku comes bounding into the room, wearing a rain coat. "It's about time you woke up sleepy head! Look, I'm gonna run down to the ranch and make sure Mr. Gull is alright."

As she says this, Paine's dream suddenly re-enters her head. A shiver runs up her spine as she thinks it, and off some kind of instinct, she shouts out.

"Wait Rikku! Don't go!" Rikku suddenly stops half way to the door and turns around with a puzzled look on her face.

"What's the matter? I'm only gonna be gone for an hour or two."

"The storm out there is too fierce. Just stay here. I don't want you out in that mess."

"But what about Mr. Gull? He gets scared of the thunder."

Paine got up and put a hand on her love's shoulder, "I know, but I have a bad feeling about it. I don't want you to get hurt. Besides, the ranch hands are on call there. If something comes up, they'll call you."

Rikku stops and thinks about this, and noticing a concerned look in her lover's eyes, she shrugs her shoulders and takes the rain coat off. "You're right. Besides, I don't feel like getting soaked in the rain."

Paine lets out a sigh of relief and throws herself back down on the couch. As she does, Rikku calls back to her, "But if I stay, you gotta make dinner." She pokes her head around the corner and sticks her tongue out at her, playfully.

_"Small price to pay." _Paine smiles and gets herself up to go and cook dinner, but not before tickling Rikku some to make her stop making faces.


End file.
